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Lakshminarayana Shankar

by Craig Harris
The musical traditions of southern India have been combined with world influences by violinist and vocalist L. Shankar (born Lakshminarayana Shankar). A founding member of influential mid-'70s Indo-Brit roots group, Shakti, with Mclaughlin, Shankar continues to explore ways to bridge diverse cultures through music. In addition to solo recordings and collaborations with his composer/keyboardist wife, Caroline, and with Indian percussionists Zakir Hussein and Vikku Vunayakram, Shankar has worked with such internationally known artists as Peter Gabriel, Jan Garbarek, David Byrne, Pete Towshend, {John McLaughlin}, and the late Frank Zappa.